Page 54 of Until You Came Along

“You’re looking at her,” I said, standing in my office doorway with my arms crossed over my chest.

Hermes turned and his burning gaze traveled over my entire body. It was obvious he hadn’t expected my presence. Then he looked back at Julia as if waiting for an explanation.

“Miss Darner is everyone’s boss here,” Julia said.

“You can come in, but I warn you I only have fifteen minutes.”

In two strides he was by my side. When he entered my office, he observed everything carefully. I noticed his gaze stopped at my desk, then he went over and picked up the picture frame I had next to my computer. It was a photograph of me with my brother, both of us smiling happily.

“Who is this?” he asked seriously, examining it carefully.

“My brother,” was my curt response, and I noticed his expression softened and he seemed to breathe easily again.

He returned the frame to its place and turned to look at me.

“Thank you for seeing me.”

“I did it for Julia’s health—you nearly gave the poor woman a nervous breakdown. Would you like some coffee?”

“I wouldn’t want to keep bothering your secretary,” he stated.

“That’s not what upsets her—it’s people who don’t know how to take no for an answer. Do you want coffee or not?”

“In that case, I’ll accept the coffee.”

I picked up the intercom and ordered them. Then I went to the conference table where he had already seated himself. I sat at the head and looked at him seriously. Just as he was about to say something, a gentle knock at the door interrupted him.

“Come in,” I said.

Julia entered with a tray that she placed on the table. We thanked her and she left very quickly.

“I think you scared the poor woman with your ogre face and your authoritarianism,” I stated.

“Ogre face?” he asked. “How strange, because I thought I had her dazzled with my beauty,” he added with his seductive smile.

I looked at him and rolled my eyes in a clear expression of impatience.

“I assume you didn’t come here to joke around, so tell me what you have to say because your time is running out.”

Hermes sighed in defeat and looked at me.

“I want to be with you, Delfina. I no longer care how we are together—it can be however you want, but don’t push me out of your life,” he pleaded, looking at me like he never had before. He seemed defeated, something I’d never seen in this man.

“Hermes, it’s not that simple. The other day you also talked about your desire to be with me and then you left with a woman hanging on your arm and cuddling up to you. How do you think that made me feel?”

“I can imagine. But I assure you nothing happened with her. We left and I took her to her home.”

“And you think I’m going to believe that?”

“It’s the truth. How could I be with another woman after kissing you? I don’t know what’s happening to me with you, but I assure you it’s never happened before and it’s driving me crazy.”

“I’m going to ask you a question and I’d like you to be honest,” I said, and he looked at me cautiously but nodded. “Why did you shield your heart? Why are you closed off to love?”

“It’s a long story and I promise to tell you, but this isn’t the place. Let’s have dinner together and talk calmly.”

For a few seconds we remained silent, looking into each other’s eyes, a gaze that said a lot. His eyes expressed an emotion I never thought I’d see in Hermes’ eyes—when speaking of his apathy toward love, his eyes reflected sadness.

“All right, let me know the place and I’ll be there,” I said.